Biology

Vulpix is a small, quadruped, fox-like Pokémon. It has red-brown pelt, brown, pupil-less eyes, large, pointed ears with dark brown insides, and six orange tails with curled tips. The tails grow hot as evolution approaches for this Pokémon. Vulpix also has curled locks of orange fur with bangs on top of its head. At birth, Vulpix has only one white tail, which apparently splits and grows more beautiful and warmer as it grows older. Vulpix has a cream underbelly, and brown feet with lighter brown paw pads.

Vulpix has a flame inside its body that never goes out, and is capable of manipulating fire to such precision as to create floating wisps of flame. When the temperature outside increases, it will expel flames from its mouths to prevent its body from overheating. In the wild, Vulpix will feign injury to escape from predators that are more powerful. Vulpix can be found most commonly in grassy plains.

Vulpix and Ninetales are the only two Fire-type Pokémon species where females outnumber males.

In Generation V, Vulpix and its evolution, Ninetales, can have the Drought Ability through Dream World. This makes them the only non-legendary Pokémon to have this Ability. Previously the only Pokémon to have this Ability was Groudon.

Vulpix is the only Pokémon with a base stat total of 299.

Origin

Vulpix, like Ninetales, are based on foxes. However, in Japan there are certain legends concerning foxes, or kitsune, as they are known there. One such legend which relates to Vulpix the most is how many-tailed foxes can breathe fire, create illusions, and have extremely long lifespans. After living a long time, these creatures take on spirit forms, which may be the reason why these two related Pokémon can learn Ghost-type moves.

Name origin

Vulpix is a combination of vulpes (Latin for fox) and six (referring to its six tails).

Rokon may be a combination of 六 roku (six) and 恨 kon (grudge), which refers to the curse that Vulpix and Ninetales may cast on their foes. This is also reflected in Vulpix, which learns Grudge. Kon may also refer to the Japanese onomatopoeia kon kon, which is the sound that foxes make. Furthermore, a コンロ konro is a gas burner stove. Also, an alternate reading of the Japanese word for fox, 狐 kitsune, is ko.